Thankful
by PrincessTiva
Summary: "It is officially the new day, so let me be the first to wish you a happy Thanksgiving." A surprising phone call reaches Tony in the middle of the night and makes him think about what - and most importantly whom - he is thankful for. Tiva. Thanksgiving drabble. Post 11x02.


**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! xo  
We don't really celebrate it in Germany but I do kind of celebrate it in my own little way..American at heart! ;D I love to use this day as an opportunity to say what and who I'm thankful for. And let me tell you, I'm thankful for YOU! Every single one of you!  
I'm just completely blown away by how amazing you are! I mean..."Our Summer" reached almost 3,000 reviews, had like 500 followers and favorites and just...WOW! 730 awesome people follow me on twitter and 800 lovely people on tumblr! And we're so close to 140 likes on facebook! You guys are just incredible! The love you've been showing me ever since "Our Summer" started is just out of this world!  
I'm so happy that you like my new fanfics, too :)  
So, I just wanna say THANK YOU! I'm so thankful for each one of you and you're just the most amazing people ever! I couldn't ask for better readers xo**  
**Summary: **"It is officially the new day, so let me be the first to wish you a happy Thanksgiving." A surprising phone call reaches Tony in the middle of the night and makes him think about what - and most importantly whom - he is thankful for. Tiva. Thanksgiving drabble. Post 11x02.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS or any of it's characters but you already knew that lol  
**Please enjoy reading! :)**

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**This one's for you lovely people!**  
**I am so thankful for each and every one of you! xo**  
**HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**

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Tony groaned as the ringing of his cell phone pulled him from his sleep. God, he'd only been sleeping for like an hour. Who the hell would be calling him at midnight in the middle of the week? Sure, it was Thanksgiving tomorrow. Or now..rather today. But everyone knew he'd have to work, no matter what. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. If it was Gibbs, informing him about a new case, he would literally not be able to keep his eyes open. He blindly reached for his cell phone and without looking at the caller ID, answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Yeah?", he questioned, still half asleep.

"It is officially the new day, so let me be the first to wish you a happy Thanksgiving", Ziva's voice filled his ears.

He immediately sat up straight in bed, all the tiredness suddenly gone.

"Ziva?", he asked in disbelief.

They hadn't talked in months. Not since he'd left her in Israel that night. The night that had changed his life – and hers probably, too – forever.

"Hello Tony", she replied.

He could literally picture the small smile on her face. He just knew her so well.

"It is already morning here but I knew it is midnight in Washington, so I wanted to be the first to wish you a happy Thanksgiving", she explained when he didn't say anything.

"I hope I did not wake you up", she then quickly apologized.

She obviously thought his lack of response had to do with the fact that he was tired. But it definitely did not. He wasn't tired anymore. Actually, he was far from it. He was just so shocked, yet so happy to hear her voice..he just couldn't find the words.

"N-no, you didn't wake me up. It's fine. I just..", he stammered, still not really able to think straight.

"I did wake you up. I can hear it in your voice", she stated, regret evident in her voice.

"No! God, Ziva, no. It's fine. Yeah, you woke me up but I don't mind, okay? I actually don't mind at all", he rambled.

She chuckled on the other end of the line and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was so good to hear her laugh.

"How are you?", he asked eventually.

"I am good actually. I think I made the right choice when I let go of the badge", she said.

He couldn't help but smile. Sure, it hurt not to have her around. But he understood why she needed to do this. And if she was happy, then so was he. Simple as that.

"I'm glad you're happy with the choices you made, Ziva", he told her sincerely.

She didn't say anything, making him grow worried. Had he said something wrong? Did she think he was happy that she wasn't here with him?

"Ziva?", he asked softly.

His hear shattered into a million pieces when he heard the chocked sob on the other end of the line. _She was crying._

"Letting go of the badge was the right choice. Letting.._you_ go was not", she cried.

He wanted to just reach out and hold her, rub her back, whisper sweet little nothings into her ear and kiss her hair, her forehead. He wanted to wipe her tears away and take all the pain away. Because she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve any of it. It wasn't fair.

"Ziva", he whispered, his voice laced with emotions.

He didn't know what else to do, so he just kept saying her name, telling her everything would be okay and that he was there for her, no matter what. Apparently it worked because her sobs slowly ceased.

"I miss you, Tony", she whispered.

He swallowed hard. "I miss you, too, Ziva", he replied gently.

"I did not mean to push you away. I just..I need to do this. It is not easy for me either. I need you, Tony. But I also need to do this in order to be whole, to be able to give myself to you without carrying a lifetime full of burden", she explained carefully.

He nodded to himself. It was understandable, really. And it made him hopeful to hear her say that last sentence. She wasn't just doing this for her, but _for them_. They were silent again, both lost in their thoughts.

"The others miss you, too. They're all just waiting for you to come home eventually", he told her, breaking the silence.

"I miss them, too. Tell them I will be home before they know it", she said, making him smile.

Tony bit his lip. He wanted to tell her about Bishop but he wasn't sure how she'd react. It wasn't like he wanted to tell her to make her feel uncomfortable. Bishop was nothing like Ziva. She was fun, yes. A little quirky, too. He just wanted to tell Ziva about Bishop because it felt like a normal thing to do. You did tell the one you love what goes on in your life, right? But then again, it was different in their situation. Maybe Ziva wouldn't take it well. And maybe she would think Tony had a thing for the new Agent. Which he definitely didn't. Bishop was way too young. But Ziva could still think it.

"Did Director Vance already find a new Agent for the team?", Ziva suddenly asked, surprising Tony.

"Yes", he answered carefully, waiting for her reaction.

"And?", she pressed, obviously wanting to hear details.

"Her name is Ellie Bishop, she's NSA Analyst. She's in her early twenties I think, blonde, kinda quirky but fun. She has three older brothers if I'm not mistaken. She's not too bad. But she's not you, Ziva."

"You should give her a chance, Tony."

"I am! I am giving her a chance. She's a fun addition to the team. But you _know_ how I feel about new partners."

"I know."

"Also..just in case you were wondering..she's not you _in any way_. She's not my type. And I..I'm already in love with someone else."

He could hear her gulp and frowned. She did know he was talking about her right?

"Ziva? You know I love you, right?", he asked softly, wanting to make sure.

"Yes", she breathed and he smiled.

"I love you, too", she then added, making him smile even brighter.

"You know what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving?", Tony suddenly asked.

"Tell me", she said and he could literally imagine her eyes sparkling.

"You", he whispered.

He didn't need to explain it. Any explanation would have ruined the moment anyway.

"I am thankful for you, too", she replied softly.

Neither of them said a word, they were just silent, cherishing the moment. It was Ziva who spoke up again first: "I should probably let you sleep now. You have work in the morning, yes?"

"No, Ziva, please don't hang up yet", he begged.

He was willing to stay up all night and don't get a single minute of sleep if it meant he could talk to her just a while longer. Who knew when he'd next get the opportunity?

"Do not worry, Tony. I realized..that I really..need you. From now on, we will talk regularly, okay?", she assured him.

The biggest grin spread across his face. "Sounds very good to me", he announced.

"I will call you later today", she promised.

"I'm already looking forward to it."

"Me too."

Silence. Neither wanted to be the one to end the call first. But they knew someone had to. Tony was well aware of the fact that he should be sleeping by now. If Gibbs called in the morning, he'd be screwed.

"Get some sleep, Tony. I will talk to you later. I-I love you", Ziva said softly, her voice cracking at the end.

"I love you, too", he whispered.

And with a huge smile on his face, he hung up. Yeah, he definitely knew what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Her.

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**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for being so amazing! :) xo  
Please let me know what you think in the reviews section! :)  
Thank you for everything! xo  
Love y'all,  
~ C.**


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